Breeze Blocks are Back!
Free, Unticketed (2 hrs)
After being introduced in the early 1950s, Breeze Blocks quickly became ubiquitous in the hot desert climates of the southwest. They act as a screen encouraging airflow while blocking the heat of the sun. These were used as design elements by both the homeowner and in commercial and public buildings. There are over 250 patterns. They reached their height of popularity at the 1964 New York World's Fair. There were so many buildings using Breeze Blocks there that they quickly lost their cutting-edge vibe and fell out of favor.
Even so, they enjoyed a good 10-year reign.
Concrete blocks were not new (think FLW), but the airy Breeze Blocks of the 1950s were a variation of the Shadow Block and took this simple and affordable architectural feature to new sophistication.
Prominent US architect Edward Durell Stone (1902–1972) chose Breeze Blocks for the American Embassy in New Delhi, built in the late 1950s. This innovative curtain wall of screen blocks emulated the Moorish screens of India. Nehru was interested in Modern design as the nation had just shaken off British Colonialism (1947), and this new architecture marked the Modern age. Stone also utilized Breeze Blocks in the design of the US Pavilion for the Brussels World's Fair in 1958. Although he received the patent for some of his Breeze Block designs (Empress, 1959), he never enforced it; he was happy they were so widely used. On March 31, 1958, Stone was on the cover of TIME magazine.
Free, No ticket required.
Things To KnowAll ages
Indoor and outdoor activity
Wheelchair accessible
Pets and animals not permitted
Photography permitted
Food and drinks provided
Free neighborhood street parking
Restrooms are available
No smoking or e-cigarettes
Important InformationLight refreshments will be provided.
The organizer of this event is Historical Society of Palm Desert.
Check-in Location The Firehouse
Historical Society of Palm Desert
92861 El Paseo
Palm Desert, CA 92260View Map
Photo Credits: Linda Holden Clode
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